Wastewater, including liquid and liquid-solid manure and municipal and industrial wastewater is a valuable source of nutrients for agriculture. For example, wastewater is a good resource of nitrogen. For a consistent yield and ascetics, the wastewater preferably is evenly distributed over the land. Because of the high nutrient concentration of wastewater, non-uniform application can result in an unequal growth distribution in the field.
Over the years many different methods and machines have been developed to more efficiently and effectively apply wastewater to land and agricultural fields. In some applications, a tractor pulls a wagon or similar apparatus containing the wastewater for application. In other applications, a tractor is connected to a source of wastewater by a long hose. This type of application is known as a hose drag system.
In a hose drag system, wastewater is pumped from a storage facility or lagoon through a flexible woven hose to a tractor that distributes the wastewater over land. The hose can be long enough to allow land application of the wastewater many miles from the storage site. A hose drag system eliminates transferring the wastewater from a storage facility to a wagon for application, thus, reducing the application time.
Wastewater can be land applied using several different techniques. First, the wastewater can be broadcast on the surface of the soil, and then optionally worked into the soil. Another method includes injecting or knifing the wastewater into the ground. A further method includes mixing the wastewater with the soil during aeration or tillage of the soil. Benefits of hose drag systems include reduced odor, increased availability of nitrogen to the plants, decreased soil compaction, and reduced application time.
To further reduce the time required for application, the flow rate through the hose drag system can be increased. A higher flow rate through the hose delivers more wastewater per minute to the applicator, allowing the field speed to be increased while maintaining the same application rate. Removing or reducing flow impediments in the system improves the flow rate through the system. For example, a tractor usually pulls the hose of a hose drag system in a serpentine-shaped pattern across the field to avoid kinking the hose. The hose is flexible and forms smooth “S” shaped curves at the end of rows. The smooth curves reduce impediments to the fluid flow.
In order to further reduce application time, an improved hose drag system for the application of wastewater is necessary.